


In the Bag

by Kamu



Series: Life Smiling at You [1]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Cats, Gen, Reincarnation, The author advertises awareness of problems that plague cats everywhere, there's a microscopic plot in here somewhere
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-09
Updated: 2018-04-05
Packaged: 2018-10-29 12:12:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 14,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10853760
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kamu/pseuds/Kamu
Summary: All pirates have hordes of treasure.It just so happens in this life, cats are the treasure in Luffy's.





	1. Pointy Things

_“This is what differentiates sympathy from empathy. No matter how much I care for you, it's not until I recognize me in you and you in me that the veil of gauze is lifted on the world.”_

**_—_ Jackson Galaxy, Cat Daddy: What the World's Most Incorrigible Cat Taught Me About Life, Love, and Coming Clean**

 

* * *

 

The new volunteer barged into the orientation with his arms full of cat.

The other two volunteers gaped at the remaining one framed in the doorway. Coby and Helmeppo, the latter of whom had muttered loudly about how his father’s secretary had insisted he squeeze in some volunteer hours to silence the higher ups, or something like that. Coby was a quiet kid with shaky hands, which he determined to fix if the kid wanted to handle kittens or shy cats anytime soon.

Benn peered into the box Luffy had thrust forward for the other two to look at.

Inside were real, live, probably feral, and most likely disease-infected cats. Benn inspected closer and yep, one of the cats had a serious infection in its left eye. The other two looked emaciated and malnourished. Strays, then. They didn’t appear beyond a few years old.

He had to give the kid some credit as the teenager babbled. If he had run into these cats, he would have done the same thing and hurried to get help. What he tried figuring out was how the kid coerced them into going with him without getting scratched.

“Where did you find them?” Benn asked, interrupting Luffy before he got intensely physical in his explanation.

“They were waiting for me,” Luffy said.

“Waiting?” Benn said.

“Yeah.” Luffy reached down and scratched a cat under the chin. Benn noted it was the one with the infected eye. “They live around my neighborhood. Sometimes I feed them. Zoro here is kind of like the protector so he brought them to me while I was taking out the trash.”

“Zoro? Who’s that?” Coby asked.

“This is Zoro! He’s pretty cool, huh?” Luffy ran his fingers behind the cat’s ears as it—he— began to purr.

Benn shook his head. He heard briefly about Zoro from Luffy’s extensively long interview a few days ago, but he had thought Zoro was a _person_ by how Luffy described him.

“Anyways, let’s bring them in. Lucky Roo is on call today so we can drive them over to the clinic in the sedan,” Benn ordered.

Luffy straightened and did little hops in excitement. “Yosh! Let’s go, Johnny! Yosaku, don’t headbutt him while we’re in the car, okay?” Luffy said to the other two cats. He smiled at Zoro. “You can nap.”

Zoro looked already halfway there.

Benn shook himself again. Seriously, it was hard not to treat them as people with Luffy around.

But that trait was what made Benn want to hire him in the first place. Luffy seemed that open with anyone and anything.

He also reminded him a bit of Shanks.

“C’mon, you three.” Benn pulled on his coat and dug around in his pocket for his keys. “I’ll teach you the first thing about finding injured strays: first, bring them to the nearest vet. Luffy, you already failed step one.”

“Aw!” Luffy said. “I brought them here since you definitely have milk.”

“And what does milk have to do with anything?” Helmeppo asked.

“Umm, milk heals every injury, duh?” Luffy said.

“No, it doesn’t!” Coby and Helmeppo exclaimed.

Benn merely lifted an eyebrow. Shanks said the same thing when they first got their Highlander as a kitten. From day one, the Red Force thought she was indestructible. Even Time seemed to think so as she lived a long twenty-one years before she left this life peacefully during one of her regular afternoon sun naps. Death had to _wait_ for her to fall asleep before even attempting to take her away.

“Alternate solution to step one,” Benn said over the teenagers’ noise. Interrupting might become a common occurrence with this bunch. “You find someone who knows what they’re doing.”

Luffy looked up and beamed. A cat mrrped crankily from inside the box. The kid turned his attention back and smoothed a finger between Zoro’s ears. The deep purring continued.

So, maybe the kid wasn’t a lost cause, after all.

Still, someone had to break the bad news to him eventually. Might as well rip the bandaid quick and easy rather than slow and painful.

“Cats can’t drink milk past their kitten years, Luffy.”

“That’s sil—wHAAAAAT, NOOOOOOOOOOOO WAAAAAAAAAY, WHY?!” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you know who Jackson Galaxy, good on you. That man knows what's up.


	2. Shiny Things

Her name was Mina according to the last owner.

“I told the officers to spell it as ‘Mine’,” the man, Arlong, reportedly scoffed once the Conomi Islands Humane Society broke down his door and seized the cat due to charges of neglect. “Expensive little shit. Hope it rots in that hellhole with you guys.”

He read Mina’s medical report. She had special needs due to the way she had been weaned as a kitten. It was guessed she was taken from her mother too early and was forced to eat solid foods abruptly. The house had no cat food, just freaking  _ tuna  _ in the cupboards and even that was two months past expired.

She also slept in a closet with ripped newspaper as bedding. They found her hiding under layers of dust deep in the couch. It took an hour of coaxing and luring her with food to get her out and safely into the rescue van.

He remembered she was shaking weakly and looked as if she hadn’t taken a bath or seen daylight in a long time.

Arlong was an abusive piece of scum, Genzo decided.

Mina was a cute thing once she got cleaned and fed back to a healthy weight the first month. The employees at the shelter adored her, but only from afar. Her mistrust of humans remained even if she grew accustomed to their presence, enough to let them within five feet of her.

Despite all the cute pictures posted on the site enticing potential adopters, Mina’s attempts to get adopted were fruitless. It was either her unwillingness to open up, her special food needs, or her tendency to hoard jewelry and money, which was an entirely unprecedented habit none of the shelter staff had foreseen.

After a few unhappy incidents, Mina remained at the CIHS shelter for two years before she made a fellow feline friend at their own small no-kill shelter, Cocoyasi Village. Nearly everyone broke into tears when Mina’s foster parent, Belle-mere, passed on suddenly, leaving the shelter with Mina and Nojiko, Mina’s other sweet sister.

It took another year and some months before Mina finally found her forever home. Nojiko had been adopted two weeks prior and Mina had taken it particularly hard, scratching and hissing at anyone who dared to come near.

According to the kid, who looked barely out of high school, it was love at first sight.

On the adoption form, the kid misspelled her name.

“Uh, you mixed up the letters,” Genzo roughly informed. 

If this boy thought he could screw up and call dear sweet Mina bad names…she deserved the best, with lots of toys, premium food, and pampered grooming, dammit! Even if this kid had the experience of working in a shelter along with living with cats his entire life, Genzo could not force himself to be happy with the match.

“Nuh-uh, this is right!” The boy nodded and huffed at the form proudly.

“You!” Genzo was ready to start a  _ fight. _

That is, until the boy with the scar under his eye beckoned Mina closer with an open palm and a peculiar whistle.

“Hey, there. I’m Luffy,” the boy cooed softly.

Luffy said something else after his name, but Genzo paid it no mind. He was entirely focused on the tense staring contest between cat and straw-hat wearing human.

Genzo bit his lip with trepidation. What was this kid trying to do?

It lasted long enough for a few regular volunteers and employees to crowd around and watch. They must have been feeling the same thing as he was, as they all collectively gasped when the first to move was Mina.

Mina gradually relaxed from her stiff position in the corner. Her pupils returned to normal and she padded cautiously closer.

Genzo finally noticed the boy had something in his hand.

He was going to raise his voice and demand the boy put it away, until Mina leaned in closer, sniffed, and let Luffy cradle her chin in his hand.

It was the first time in weeks that Mina had let a human touch her. To say that they were shocked was a severe understatement.

Luffy laughed and smoothed his hand down her back. “This will have to do until we get you a collar you’ll like,” he said to no one in particular.

In one smooth movement, Luffy tied the red ribbon around Mina’s neck. It fell comfortably against her chest with a musical tinkle. The yellow bell glimmered in the fluorescent light as Luffy scooped her up into his arms, to Mina’s brief protest.

“Thanks, old man!” Luffy said as he carried her cage in the other hand. He laughed happily at the rest of the gaping employees as he headed toward the exit. “Everyone, thanks so much for taking care of her for so long!”

The boy and cat left Cocoyasi Village. Genzo sniffed into his arms as he ran out the door and saw how awed his dear sweet Mina looked in the passenger seat of the beat up car. The marvel in her round eyes at seeing the outside world was enough to move him to tears.

“I hope you like shiny things,” Luffy was saying as he got into the driver’s seat with the windows down. “You should since Zoro really loves hoarding pointy things! He doesn’t like to share, you know.”

Genzo wiped at his eyes. No, she wasn’t their Mina, not anymore.

“Nami,” Luffy said.

She was beginning a new life. It was only fitting she kickstarted it with a name to call her own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hear me out: the chapter releases won't be this quick, but I do have the rest planned, I swear. My original AUs make easier creation time, and cats I'm particularly passionate about so.


	3. Fancy Talky Things

One of the guards approached her as she was preparing breakfast.

“Miss Kaya,” the guard greeted.

“Yes? How are you?” Kaya stood up and met him halfway.

“Rather well. I came here to inform you that you have a ‘guest’ in the cat garden.”

The guard need say no more. Kaya was already off toward the back entrance of the mansion, where Merry had installed a utopia for the resident outdoor cat. The guard who informed her followed quickly at her heels.

“Usopp?” Kaya called out nervously as she entered the garden.

No resounding chirp replied back. If she strained her ears, she might hear something…

“Shishishi,” came a quiet laugh a little ways deep into the foliage and miniature forest.

The guard by her side rested a hand on his baton. Kaya held her hand out and ushered for them to move toward the sound of human laughter slowly.

As they crept closer, the laughter grew louder. Besides human, there was the distinct and familiar chirp of Usopp nearby.

“Oi, you two can come play with us, too! People might be a bit too big for kitten play but we can make an exception,” a boyish voice said toward their location.

Kaya nodded and the guard obediently stood up. As his eyes widened, Kaya nervously asked, “Well? Is it safe?”

“Ah, er,” the guard said a bit stiffly. He helped her up. “Yes, Miss Kaya. More than safe.”

“Really?” Kaya said.

The guard pointed behind her. “See for yourself.”

“Oh!” Kaya was pleased to find a familiar and very welcome face in her garden. “Luffy-san! You’re here!”

“Oh, diamond lady! Hi!” Luffy waved. Usopp and the pretty tabby of the two guest cats leapt after the feather toy jumping with his hand.

Kaya smiled and sat near the dozing cat across from Luffy. “What brings you here today?” she asked. Her smile grew as Usopp successfully pawed at the feather, only to have it tickle his nose and make him sneeze.

“Uwaa, I know I should have called but this couldn’t wait,” Luffy said with a huff.

“It’s alright. What did you need?” Kaya had a number of things she could provide Luffy, but she already knew his personality enough to know he was unpredictable in these things.

As he expertly jogged the feather toy around, Luffy leaned his cheek onto his fist. “I just need your permission to kidnap Usopp.” Luffy shrugged. “Just a tiny favor.”

“Kidnap?” Kaya repeated.

“Dang, I should’ve used ‘catnap’ instead! Flower guy would be so disappointed,” Luffy lamented woefully. He saw Kaya looking, a frown on her face. “I heard something from Merry-guy.”

Kaya nodded, her concern lightening a bit. Merry wouldn’t let bad news sit for too long.

“I don’t want to make you choose,” Luffy was saying, “but when it comes down to it, their happiness is more important.”

She suddenly remembered two days ago, the morning after Merry had gotten off the phone with the vet after Klahadore had thrown up for the third time the day before.

“Klahadore has FIV,” Kaya said into the silence that had fallen between them. It was coupled with the purr of the one-eyed roan cat and the angry growls from the pretty tabby cat. Usopp didn’t make a sound, which meant one of many things.

Kaya didn’t know when the news had affected her so much.

“I don’t want Usopp to leave,” she murmured into her hands. Usopp padded over and nudged her arm, rubbing his ear against her comfortingly.

“He has to.” Luffy’s voice was strong and non-demanding. “I can’t take in Klahadore. I love Nami and Zoro.”

Kaya contemplated that and accepted something that had been warring within herself.

She straightened and gazed at Luffy straight on. “I give you permission,” she said with conviction Merry would be proud of.

Luffy blinked and grinned, thoroughly pleased. “Shishishi!” Luffy reached over and patted Usopp’s head. “Hey, Usopp, this is great! You can play with Zoro and Nami more often, now!”

They burst out into laughter as Usopp looked downright offended at the notion.

Kaya wiped at her tears. Luffy was right. It wasn’t what she wanted, it was what  _ they  _ needed. Between a human’s love and a cat’s happiness, the latter was the obvious choice. Syrup was a small shelter mainly hosting old cats and few kittens. The cats with special needs had to have foster homes fast or else…

Everyone and everything deserved a chance; that was her creed.

Her wet smile said, “I’m sorry” while Luffy’s signature wide grin beamed, “Any time!” as he handed over the feather wand and walked past her.

“Hey!”

Kaya turned and found Luffy standing by the propped open garden gate, hands clasped at his nape and his straw hat framing his head like a crown. His feline friends walked ahead, knowing or not caring that their human had stopped following.

“Do you have an Instagram?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was initially going to be 3k words long, but I realized halfway that most of what I had written was drivel and info dump. That's boring. So, here's a slice of how Usopp got catnapped into the Straw Hats.


	4. Premium Food Things

He stretched out on the sole couch of the _Kamabakka Kingdom_ staff break room after a long night of front door guard duty.

Ten minutes into his break, a weight settled on his chest.

He lifted the magazine from his face and smiled. “You tired of the girls already, Sanji?” Gin asked after the longhaired blonde cat.

Sanji continued to purr, ignoring Gin in favor of keeping his engine going.

Gin chuckled and let the magazine shade his face again. They both had a long night.

Luffy found them like that later, napping at the peak of dawn.

“Sanji!” Luffy was considerate enough to make it sound like he was whispering, when his whispering voice was more like a less loud yell. “Time to go home! Say bye to Bandana Guy!”

Sanji yowled grumpily in protest, hating to be handled by men even half-asleep.

Luffy somehow managed to settle Sanji into the cat-safe bag he kept with him at all times. Gin blinked up blearily to witness Sanji curled up like a cranky, growling croissant, curly whiskers and all.

“Alright, alright. Yes, I know, you don’t want to see Zoro or leave Bandana Guy, but your grooming appointment is coming up. Yeah, you can hang out with Nami for a bit.” Sanji meowed and Luffy laughed. “Oi, oi, that’s not nice to say.”

Gin followed them out and dazedly watched Luffy saunter out the club and into the dimly lit streets. Day had yet to break over the rise of the surrounding buildings.

“Watch out for dark alleys,” Gin warned.

“Sure!” Luffy practically shouted and waved over his shoulder.

Gin waved back, yawning from the doorway of the club.

Seriously. He wasn’t certain if he was expectant or dreading the days Luffy and Sanji came over for their twice weekly visits.

Gin stepped aside as a few club members scrambled to bid farewell to Sanji and Luffy with airborne kisses while the two departed for the station. The place was certainly more lively when they were there.

Their story was odd, even by his standards. What they did at a transgender-friendly club was beyond his comprehension until he got the answer from the owner in person.

 _“He’s our delivery boy,”_ Ivankov said. _“Luffy-chan is also our benefactor’s son. The two facts are completely unrelated, though! The real reason lies with Sanji.”_

_“The cat?”_

_“Yes! The dear was a part of the local feral cat colony until Bon-chan found him caught in a raccoon trap near the Baratie. Turns out he had a chip and was part of that busted drug trafficking business under the guise of a kitten mill from a few years ago. I take care of human beings, but I have no expertise in animals! So we almost turned him into the shelter, but I heard about the dreadful things they do to unwanted cats. And there comes Luffy-chan, sweeping us off our feet with his generous offer of a foster home.”_

He had stiffened at the news. It turned out he and Sanji were more connected than he had realized.

Gin confronted Luffy later that week. Luffy had to know his involvement in pushing Sanji to the streets.

It was his fault the drug cartel got busted in the first place. It was in his power to stop what Don Krieg was doing to those poor kittens who were only bred for their pedigree and looks. All those cats, rescued or released to streets ravaging garbage because Gin had decided to follow the direction his moral compass pointed. Betraying Don Krieg was worth the relief his conscience felt at seeing those cats up and about outside the confines of their cages.

Even if that nearly came at the cost of his life.

“I believe Sanji was one of those cats. I couldn’t save him or the rest of his siblings. I’m glad someone did,” Gin finished, head hung in guilt.

Luffy was silent for a moment, the only noise in the room being the brush against Sanji’s thick coat.

“That was almost three years ago,” Luffy said. It was worded like a question.

“Yes. Don Krieg decided to...punish me in the following months after my screw up.” Gin hated to talk about the specifics. Only Ivankov and her right hand Inazuma knew. They were the ones to save his life and provide a safe place to recover.

Luffy nodded thoughtfully. “So you released all the cats? Even though they could have died on their own in the streets without their mothers?” he asked.

“...I didn’t think about that at the time. I only had time to release the dozen cages near me before the police arrived.” He remembered he was too busy wrapping his mind around freedom and _I need to get (them) out of there._

“That was reckless!”

“Hi pot, I’m kettle,” Gin muttered.

Luffy snickered. Sanji protested his person’s inattention by batting at his hand. Human continued to brush cat.

“Your heart was in the right place,” Luffy said, scritching Sanji under the chin fondly. Due to the distraction of brush on fur, Sanji allowed it. “You’re kind of like Sabo. Selfish and selfless for other people.”

“Maybe not selfless,” Gin said.

“Hmm, sure.” Luffy didn’t sound like he agreed with that, but let it go.

Gin bit his lip. “Fuck,” he said. To be comforted by a near kid was a near low for him.

His mind flashed to Don Krieg and the dark room which he-would-not-speak-or-think-of.

No. Receiving verbal comfort by Monkey D. Luffy was leagues better than _that._

“Yup,” Luffy agreed. “By the way, I help because I want to, not because I have to. I’m not sure if that makes it better or worse, but it’s still better than doing nothing, you know?”

“Yeah...You’re right.”

“Don’t worry too hard over stuff that happened back then. We’re all here now,” Luffy said.

He was eternally grateful to so many people; Gin couldn’t possibly pay them all back for what they had done for him. Couldn’t any one of these kind people realize that?

“What can I?” Gin gestured to the space between them, words failing him.

“Good timing! Can you take in Sanji on Thursday? I’m introducing a new cat to the house,” Luffy requested immediately, shaking Sanji off.

Sanji landed on his feet and skulked out of sight.

“Sanji gets territorial?” Gin had read up on cat behavior once he learned he was the most tolerated person in the building on nights Sanji stayed at _Kamabakka Kingdom._

“Nah. It’s weird, right? He used to be part of a feral colony but he’s not like that. He’s only aggressive to guy cats.” Luffy snorted and brushed the cat hair on his jeans off onto the floor.

“So why?” Before Luffy opened his mouth, Gin knew the reason would be simple yet ultimately ridiculous. Maybe it was a sixth sense he had developed due to knowing the likes of Luffy, Ivankov, and even briefly motherfucking Dragon himself.

“Weeeell,” Luffy grinned, extending the word out. “The new cat? She’s a girl.”

When Luffy said no more, Gin blinked. “And?” he prompted.

“That’s it.” Luffy popped his lips. End of that trail of conversation.

Gin pinched the skin between his eyebrows. Ivankov warned him Ds had a tendency to explain without explaining anything at all. This had all the signs of such a thing.

“Luffy. Why can’t Sanji be in a house with a female cat?” Gin asked carefully.

“Oh. Sanji goes WILD over females. You have no idea, man.”

“But he’s…” Gin gestured vaguely down to his family jewels.

Luffy’s grin widened. “Yup. Doesn’t matter! The heart wants what it wants! Cat or human, LOVE stops for no one!” Luffy declared, making an unusual stance Gin _knew_ he definitely learned from Bentham.

So. Knowing Sanji went into an immediate heat when getting a whiff of a female was definitely feral cat behavior, according to PAWLEASEHELP DOT ORG. Good for future reference. Although, he remembered only female cats went into heat, so...huh? Sanji wasn't female and he did get neutered which meant Sanji getting excited was a 100 percent learned behavior.

He was also 99 percent sure Luffy got that last phrase wrong.

“It’s not just cats, though. Sanji LOVES girls.” Luffy tilted his head. “I don’t get why he doesn’t like some of the girls here? Is it because their leg and facial hair itch? I’m kinda envious though…”

Gin strongly suspected the reason was that some of the members were simply crossdressing.

“Yes, I can take Sanji,” he said quickly, noting the cat's return.

Key to stopping a D tangent: answering to the whim that seemed like the top priority. If the top priority seemed like a near impossibility, he was instructed to _make_ it happen, at all costs. Ivankov stressed this very seriously.

“Great!” Luffy nodded and smoothly scooped up Sanji before he could run away. “Sanji, don't run off like that. We have to go get Nami back from that fish guy, remember? Oh, and this hobo told me to look after his cat. Her name is Vivi..."

The following weekend, Luffy had dumped Sanji on him and promised he would be back for him on Monday. That Monday Luffy asked (ordered) Gin to babysit Sanji again on Thursday, when Luffy had his job at the _Red Hair_ in the evening.

The visits rinsed and repeated until Gin felt they had established a schedule. Sanji would hang out at either Gin’s apartment or the club on Mondays and Thursdays.

Gin felt comfortable and brave enough to ask Luffy where he could find discounted cat beds and food.

“I was thinking, if Sanji needed space to cool off from Zoro or the girls, he could crash at my place,” Gin offered, a tad nervous Luffy would say no.

“I don’t like isolating any of the cats, even if they do get feisty,” Luffy said, frowning. He whipped out a sticky pad and the tiniest pencil from one of his many vest pockets and shoved them into Gin’s face. “Sanji likes you, so I think this is perfect! Do you have a cell?”

The catification was cool. The apartment was meant as a housing complex for the nearby chefs of the professional Baratie. It was through Sanji’s charm that Gin managed to get one. The cat was a favorite of the restaurant, having been deemed the unofficial mascot, so he was cleared for entry on the apartment grounds. Catifying his apartment was given grudging approval by the owner and head chef, Red Leg Zeff.

“That cat and I have deep set history,” the man with an impressively large hat and braided mustache (?) relayed after Gin gaped a bit too long at his quick agreement. “The spoiled yam gave me a reason to keep living. Almost died a homeless nobody in the rain when this mangy puke colored thing hops on my chest and starts rumbling louder than a Lamborghini racing down the freeway.”

“That’s—” Gin was shocked.

“Fucking stupid. I knew that lemon was waiting for my corpse to rot before digging in. But the thing was, I had already broken my leg beyond repair.” Red Leg Zeff chuckled and patted the metal limb. “I said, ‘Here, take this useless limb of mine, brat’ and you know what the drenched rug did? He dug his claws in and purred louder. After taking a piss in a puddle a few feet away, of course. Little did I know that he just about near saved my life.”

“No way.” Gin looked to the cat in question. Sanji was currently cuddled up in the lap of a female customer. Her date sneezed away on the other side of the table. Sanji ate up the attention while looking simultaneously smug about it.

“Yes. I never did manage to get a collar on that one. He kept to himself and the ferals that live around these parts. It didn’t feel right, leashing him and tying him down.” Zeff sighed and got up, striding toward Sanji’s table. “I thought, ‘the least I can do is provide him a safe place to come back to’. Should’ve acted faster, frankly.”

Gin grinned. Luffy was certainly someone known for direct and immediate action.

“Ah.” Zeff addressed Gin, Sanji meowing crankily in his arms. “Boy, don’t bring him into the restaurant when you come. The yam is unpredictable for business, as you can see.”

The male customer was yelling about hazardous restaurant etiquette and the woman was flushed happily, obviously enjoying her brief experience with a loving cat. The Baratie chefs were curiously slipping out of the kitchen. A few noticed Sanji in the head chef’s arms. The rest headed over to take care of the dissatisfied customer.

Gin watched their expressions brighten as they hesitantly approached the cat. They reached out and patted Sanji on the head. A few even blushed as they proceeded to enthusiastically kick and beat the crap out of the man.

“You,” Gin said later, “are a very spoiled cat.”

Sanji yawned and continued his 18 hour nap, presumably dreaming up a paradise of beautiful girls and female cats.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This wasn't my best chapter as I had to cut and leave out a few important plot things (lol a plot? where?), but I found a remedy for my problems. You'll see later, don't worry. ;^0


	5. Toe Bean Things

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No cats were stolen in the making of this chapter.

DEAR CAT POLE 9,

 

Iz it stealin if d cat willingly wants 2 go w you? Asking 4 a friend c|:D

 

Bye!

...

To the sender of this grammatically error-ridden email,

 

If you have stolen a cat, we would like you to willingly turn yourself in for the greater good and for justice.

Also, we are not the "Cat Pole 9". It is Cipher Pol 9.

We have no idea how you managed to contact the personal email of one of our agents. Please refrain from doing so from now on.

(PS, if that emoticon is meant to be intimidating, it is working poorly)

 

Rob Lucci

Chief of CIPHER POLICE 9

...

YO,

 

Its a hat, duh! N thnx for d ansor, Bobert

 

Sent from my [UNTRACEABLE]

 

* * *

 

It was a given requirement that as a barmaid, she honed her intuition about the going-ons in her bar.

At the moment, Paula had a hunch. She suspected the unsuspecting teenager in the straw hat had information. Her intuition didn’t let on what kind, which wasn’t all too sad. She always found out either way.

“You’re too young to be lurking the likes of here, boy,” Paula said, pushing a glass of milk in front of him.

His entire aura sparkled. “Thanks, lady!” He downed it in one go. Those eyes and the scar. They were expectant and she understood. She refilled his glass.

“What does a sprout like you want with this crowd?” Paula gestured to the dark paneled walls and the low chatter of grumbling folk intent on a drink and a handful of stress-free hours.

The boy looked her straight in the eye as he gulped down his milk and got a milk moustache in the process. The appearance oddly reminded her of someone, someone bad news for her and her “organization” especially, but there’s no way that could be, right?

“Piracy,” the boy said.

“Hm,” she replied neutrally. Her thoughts immediately went to the entire territory, the bar included, which was stolen from under the previous capo’s nose. As far as she knew, the man was still living as an amnesiac at the edge of town. Her boss made sure of that.

“Yup! I thought I would see the stolen stuff here, but I guess it’s only here after hours, huh?” The boy sighed. “Hey, miss, do ya serve meat here?”

Paula blinked. “It’s not common, but yes,” she said.

“Great! Give me a dozen servings of whatever you usually have. Ditch the vegetables, just gimme the meat,” the boy asked, squirming excitedly in his chair.

…

It’s later when she’s currently known as Miss Doublefinger that she remembered where she had seen the boy.

“That’s him. He’s the one who did a dine and dash two days ago,” Miss Doublefinger spoke, pointing to the camera feed. “Very lithe, very fast. If I wasn’t suspicious of him, I wouldn’t have realized he was gone.”

Mr. 1 slowly looked from her to the screen. “You’ve met the suspect who stole Mr. Zero’s cat?” he asked.

“Not exactly. I didn’t know it at the time, but I had a hunch he was important.” She was sorely regretting not connecting the dots. The scar and the hat were memorable traits. Maybe Miss Doublefinger should have asked for his number, at least a name.

The Boss’ right hand groaned and massaged his forehead. “Miss All-Sunday is a rare dying breed. Anyone looking for cash would consider kidnapping her and selling her online or in the black market,” he grumbled, staring at the screen as the boy in the black and white cam feed yelled and gesticulated at Miss All-Sunday the pedigree cat through the locked glass window of the bar.

“Ehem.”

“Yes, Miss Goldenweek?” Miss Doublefinger answered for Mr. 1.

“I think I found our guy,” Miss Goldenweek said, looking at her phone.

“Have you?” Mr. 1 glanced up.

“Yep.” She turned her phone screen to them. “Take a look.”

They watched on the Instagram feed of the boy, under the IG name of “mugiwaranoluff”, as he shouted at Miss All-Sunday in color with volume.

 _“I’m gonna getchu outta there! I promise you! I’ll do everything it takes to make sure you get out of there!”_ the boy yelled passionately.

 _“Luffy! It’s closed! It’s cold out, Vivi needs to get home!”_ the cameraman hissed as Miss All-Sunday worryingly put distance between her and the wildly gesturing young man.

 _“You don’t belong in there! I’m gonna make sure you get out of there, okay!?”_ Luffy continued screaming.

The post was captioned “chaotic good” with the simple tag “#kingofthecats”.

“Who is this boy?” Mr. 1 asked while the video looped again.

“A terror,” Miss Goldenweek whispered. “I’ve been scrolling through his feed. He does parkour as a side hobby and he owns about six cats. I think I’ve seen a few yakuza members in the background. Cops, too, maybe off the clock? Big shots. I think I saw—” She gulped. “Garp the Fist, Dragon the Revolutionary, and the White Hunter.”

“Don’t joke,” Miss Doublefinger scolded.

“I’m not!” Miss Goldenweek scrolled down and showed her the posts as proof.

It was only a split second but that was definitely Garp the Fist chasing down Luffy across rooftops and abandoned buildings in the run down part of town.

In the second video, there was a looming man in the background as Luffy pressed his face against one of their own members, Mr. 2/Bon Krei during what looked to be a party. It was blurry but that tattoo was unmistakable.

The third video appeared normally, as nothing interesting was happening, just talking. However, it was the people _in_ it that had the three underground bounty hunters choking on their spit.

It had the White Hunter in casual clothes at a club, smoking two cigars with—was that Black Cage Hina drinking a Bloody Mary beside him?—Luffy pestering questions that the dog of the city precinct police force tossed aside with a fondly exasperated grumble.

“Seriously, who _is_ this?” Mr. 1 asked again, this time with a note of rising incredulity.

“Hold on. Is that Fire Fist Ace?” Miss Doublefinger demanded.

They spent the rest of the night wondering in awe and horror at the exciting and hectic life of IG user “mugiwaranoluff”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One Piece is turning 20 later this month (July 22 2017)! I love what Oda did for the 20th anniversary!! (And I give anyone author kudos where I got the audio lines from. I immediately saw it and thought "That's Luffy and Cat Robin")


	6. Merry Whatsit Things

Buggy used to live in a lot of shitty places while on the run from the cops when he was a sprouting young criminal. He liked to think he escaped that life once he established a rule of terror in an unknown East Blue town with a name not worth remembering anymore.

A few years of living as boss gave him a shady construction business in which he was rolling in dough. The whole shindig had illegally imported explosives and everything. Hell, he even provided dental to his workers slash underlings. His life was great.

Straw Hat ruined that window of bliss with his literal homewrecking. When did the kid even have TIME to hotwire a bulldozer and level his entire base? He had to have stayed in town for two hours at most!

Buggy almost forgave Straw Hat. It took a country bumpkin _maniac_ with a destructive streak to make him realize just how _small_ his worldview had become. Sheesh, he used to have big dreams and shit. The kid reminded him by smacking him in the face like they were basic punks duking it out on the streets.

The kid packed a hefty punch, but Buggy knew he could take it. Later. After the bruise healed.

So yeah, Buggy tried to slash the kid’s tires after finding out where he worked. ‘Tried’ because motherfucking Benn Beckman caught him in the act. He was one man he did not want to cross. Anywhere Beckman was at, Red Hair certainly would be hovering around nearby. The pair were mushy and _together_ like that, reminding single people everywhere that they were SAD, ALONE, and in his case ANGRY. Bastards.

“What about that fling with Alvida?” Luffy asked, interrupting the beautiful monologue of his worthwhile career in crime.

“Work buddies. Don’t shit where you eat,” Buggy sniffed.

Alvida told him the things Luffy did when he disbanded her gang. Frankly, he thought they didn’t measure up to the deeds Straw Hat did to him. It looked like Luffy turned her life around for the better, if the kid couldn’t recognize her from the pig she once was. He avoided a kick to the crotch after that.

Now that he thought about it, Buggy himself was profiting from the waves that kid brought to his nowhere nook town. He’d never tell the brat, but Luffy had punched the idle satisfaction from his body that day.

“Hm,” Luffy said, watching a fly buzz by as he ate.

Buggy could see his reply fazed through him. Anything not concerning meat and cats were filtered out of his brain.

“Speaking of places to eat,” Buggy said, watching Luffy perk up immediately. “You need to get out of this place. I killed like five roaches on my way to kitchen.”

Luffy let Robin, one of the newer additions, settle into his lap. “Whaddya mean? Here is fine,” he said.

“Uh, kid?” Buggy said. He gestured to the peeling walls and the paper panels lined with cat sized holes. Half of them were repaired with index cards and duck tape. “Your house is falling apart. You have a bug problem. I think a freaking _rat_ scuttled past my ankle when I was taking a shit in the toilet. Not a mouse. A RAT.”

Luffy tilted his head. “Robin and Sanji can take care of them. They’re both former barn cats,” he replied.

“Your water doesn’t spit out hot anymore,” Buggy said.

“I can go to the public baths,” Luffy returned easily.

“There’s no AC,” Buggy tried.

“We can open the doors and hang up the mosquito net,” Luffy put forth.

“Kid!” Buggy shouted. “There is MOLD infesting the kitchen ceiling.”

Buggy took brief satisfaction at the way Luffy hesitated. The feeling was short lived, however. He had to break the bad news to Luffy, which was as unpredictable of a situation as predicting a storm. The guy would either take it like a champ or refuse to budge.

...Or, Luffy would make this godawful devastated face like someone had told him one of his cats had died. Buggy HATED the possibility of that outcome. He always knew to avoid it whenever he brushed the topic of family. Despite being unfazed even in the face of death and the muzzle of a gun, Luffy still had hang ups like anyone else.

And Buggy would completely take full advantage of that, if only the threats of an internationally wanted fugitive and the hellstorm that be a retired ATTORNEY GENERAL weren’t breathing down his neck…

Oh, and Shanks could go fuck himself. Those crow’s feet and bleached gray hair all the way down to Beckman’s roots? Nuh-uh. Buggy ain’t taking a part of that circus, not yet.

“That’s not good for you or the cats,” Buggy continued, pushing the Monkey D. elders and the inevitable forthcoming of old age to the back of his mind. “The kitchen is where everyone eats. Not all of the furry things have strong immune systems, not like you.”

Luffy’s face was doing that thing where he was _thinking._ All signs pointed to this being a herald for bad ideas.

Buggy already made it this far. He might as well finish his guilt trip to the end of its bittersweet journey.

“Straw Hat Luffy,” Buggy said, standing up and heading toward the front door. “You can do better.”

Of course, that was where the metaphorical bad weather ended for a while.

Buggy assumed, with the radio silence, maybe Luffy decided to be sensible for once. Hey, he might even listen to Buggy’s advice and Buggy could rein it over his head forever!

Nope. Someone chose the absolute WORST outcome to come to fruition.

Monkey D. Luffy made his choice, on his own terms.

“Call on line 3 for you…” Mohji said to him one day.

Buggy, like the inattentive fucker he was, didn’t notice how pale his underling looked. He had to go ahead and take the call like an ignorant fool.

“I’ll give back the bulldozer in two days,” Luffy started.

Buggy hurled the entire phone set against the wall.

 

* * *

 

The village mayor had to be certain.

“Are you absolutely _sure_ this is a cat?” Dalton asked the young man.

“Yeah! Geez, I know what’s a cat and what isn’t!” Luffy said.

Dalton looked over at the pudgy hooved animal. It watched him with clear wide eyes from its place in Luffy’s lap, as if daring him to contradict its adopted human.

“It has hooves,” Dalton said.

“He’s self-conscious about that.” Luffy nodded. “He’s not as polycrocodile as Nami and Robin are.”

“No tail?” he asked.

“Chopper is the opposite of Usopp!” Luffy exclaimed with a laugh.

Dalton frowned. “He’s a baby now, but he’ll probably grow horns in the future when he turns into an adult,” he persisted. How would this kid explain that?

“Horns?” Luffy lifted Chopper to look him in the eye. “Are you going to grow horns, Chopper?”

The goat-cat blinked slowly at Luffy. He turned his head to look at Dalton and then turned back to Luffy.

Chopper bleeped.

“He says sure, but they’ll fall off on their own,” Luffy said.

Dalton was at an impasse. He had troubles accepting that someone could be so stubborn about an animal’s presumed classification. Was it against certain animal laws if he just let this boy take a wild deer-goat-cat as a pet?

“No worries, Bull-guy,” Luffy assured, stretching to pat him on the shoulder. “Doctor-lady told me Chopper is a cat. I’ve never seen a cat like him before, so I guess I haven’t seen ‘em all!”

Their resident doctor and veterinarian told Luffy this? Dalton had never questioned her expertise in animal care before, but what would she gain from teasing a young boy from out of town?

“She approves of you taking him with you?” Dalton sighed.

“Mm! I told her my new place is near the sea and mountains, so she Hail Mary-ed Chopper into my arms and told me to get out! You should visit once we’re done building,” Luffy said.

Luffy placed a creased card onto Dalton’s palm. The paper shone in laminated purples, yellows, and reds with a splash of brown. It was all backdrop to a cheery lion shaped cleverly like a sun or a flower.

“The ‘Thousand Sunny’,” Dalton read on the other side.

“For the thousands of sunny days ahead of us,” Luffy followed up, swinging Chopper around in a circle.

It made sense with what Luffy wanted to do with the animal sanctuary. He briefly thought maybe he caught onto what Dr Kureha had intended in leaving the goat-cat-dog-deer to Luffy. Their small suburban town in the cold north was no place for an active animal that belonged in the wild. In an animal sanctuary, Chopper would have a better and longer life than the one he had with his herd, or so the Doctor had bitterly told him while drunk.

“Will Chopper have a lot of friends?” Dalton asked.

Luffy stopped and set down Chopper, who wobbled on shaky legs before collapsing onto a nearby pillow. The goat-cat-dog’s tongue stuck out as he tried to regain his sense of balance.

“You bet! There’s Zoro, Nami, Usopp, Sanji—”

Dalton listened as Luffy told him of their happy and growing family.

“It sounds fun wherever you guys are,” he said once he found a gap in one-sided conversation.

Luffy beamed. “That’s right!” he agreed.

Dalton stepped up and patted the young man on the back. He glanced over his shoulder and grinned at the approaching people, more particularly the grumpy doctor refusing help from the younger veterinarians around her.

“Take care of him. I know Chopper has dealt with plenty of coldness in his life. He could use a lot of warmth from now on,” he said as he turned Luffy to the arrivals.

“Nami! Sanji!” Luffy took off toward the sleeping cats being rolled into the waiting room. He barrelled into the hovering veterinarians in his haste. The room quickly filled with many protests.

“You brats! Don’t wake them! They just came out of surgery and need rest!” Dr. Kureha whipped out a pair of latex gloves and whacked the jumpy young man with them.

“They’re okay now?” Luffy peered at the cats on the cart, taking care to keep his voice significantly lower.

“Yes, you impatient buffoon. Sit with Chopper, I need to pack and write up the basics for his care and the cats’ aftercare for you before you take off.” She waved the boy away and glared at the surrounding vets. “You bunch need to leave me be before I bring out the meter stick.”

Taking heed to the woman’s hand inching toward her hip where she kept the retractable not-weapon, the vets scattered.

Dalton felt he had overstayed his welcome. He headed toward the glass doors of the clinic, before someone cleared their throat behind him.

“You must’ve distracted the brat well enough, if he managed to stay in this room for four hours straight without interrupting me,” the doctor said, one hip and an eyebrow cocked.

He scratched the back of his neck sheepishly.

“I think it’s the other way around,” he admitted.

She snorted. “I’m a creature of solitude, so I know when someone isn’t. That boy,” she jutted her chin at Luffy attempting to imitate Chopper’s hops, “is someone who loves and needs love. I’d almost think he’s more animal in that aspect, but most humans need others to live fully. Otherwise, we’d die before our time.”

“Is that so?” Dalton took vague amusement as Chopper perched on Luffy’s shoulder like he was a mountain face, accidentally knocking over his hat.

“Of course. I’m an old woman who has found the secret to longevity. However, I haven’t found the right way to love Chopper in the way he needs. That’s why I’m allowing Straw Hat to steal my cute apprentice.” Dr. Kureha chuckled at Dalton’s baffled expression. “He’s very good at fetch, that Chopper.”

As if to demonstrate, Chopper jumped down and presented Luffy the hat in between his teeth.

“Cats don’t do fetch,” Dalton reminded with a twinge of his lips.

“Oh, shut it, brat,” Dr. Kureha said to the noises of amazement and praise filling up the small clinic waiting room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a long while, hasn't it? So many things have happened since then. The Episode of East Blue Special, the "Official" Sabo Remembers Before Marineford AU that's vaguely reminiscent of every Sabo Remembers AU to date...and also, me being completely taken (aka Distracted) by Pirate Warriors 3, which I had finally gotten sometime mid July. So fun! Anyways, I'll be continuing this fic with more regular updates now.


	7. Soft and Warm Like Mashed Potatoes Things

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> alcohol consumption is mentioned, just a warning

Paulie was a serious man.

Okay, maybe not the _most_ serious ever, at least in the city-wide Galley-la Company. However, there were plenty of carefree fools hanging around the docks of Water 7, more now that they made a partnership with the BFFs, a rookie carpentry crew formerly known as a freelance house flipping group. They could be trained to build in place of dismantling.

Mayor Iceburg liked to do things traditionally when it came to carpentry. Like the legend before him, he personally chose which projects would be accepted and which would be denied with everyone present.

Apparently, that meant _everyone and living thing._

“What is that,” Paulie deadpanned.

“This? This is a mouse, Paulie.” Iceburg patted the live mouse in his breast pocket.

“No,” Paulie shifted his finger to the rolling chair next to him, “that.”

Iceburg followed his finger and blinked in surprise, seizing the mouse in his pocket.

Iceburg’s new secretary, a proficiently skilled girl of nine years old, shifted her glasses and stated for all in the room to hear.

“It appears to be a round kitty, Mr. Vice-president,” Secretary 9 said.

All eyes zeroed in on the rotund feline. Someone had adjusted the rolling chair’s height until the seat was level with the table.

The creature took them all in with his small eyes and his pink triangle nose. His poofy tail swished from side to side. His stance was wide. His cheeks were bursting. His shape was that of a friend.

After a long silence, the cat opened his mouth—

—just to yawn and show off an impressive set of chewers.

A few of the BFFs fainted right then and there.

“Okaaaay. Anyone want to explain why this cat is sitting next to Iceburg like a person?” Paulie asked, interrupting the enraptured silence.

One of the BFFs raised their hand.

“Yes?” Paulie pointed.

“This magnificent ultra cool SUPER manly boy is our boss!” they shouted.

“Say what?”

“It’s in our name, duh!”

As one, the BFFs turned around and showed off their jumpers, where the words ‘BOSS FRANKY FANS’ were embroidered in glittery blue thread across the back.

Paulie’s jaw dropped.

“Why are you surprised?” Iceburg asked, frowning at him.

“Hold on, why were  _you_ surprised? Did you already know about the cat in power?” Paulie demanded.

Iceburg's frown turned sheepish. “Ah, well, I would have been prepared if I had known Franky would be stopping by for a visit. I was worried he would go for Leroy once he found out I didn’t have any cola-flavored treats.”

Paulie didn’t have a retort to that. He assumed Leroy was the mouse, and that his president was a bit of a lunatic to not mention that their future partners were cat fanatics.

Franky chose that moment to act.

“RRRRROOOWWW!” Franky said, striking a familiar pose with one paw raised and his expression completely trusting and warm, as if one could relay their worries, and the robust cat would press his paw to a hand and reassure everything would turn out alright.

The fact that Paulie could glean this from just one pose greatly disturbed him.

Instantly, the room exploded in noise.

Paulie pushed back his hair and groaned.

“Not this shit again.”

 

* * *

 

Franky was really popular with guys for some reason. He had wracked up an online following, hosted by the BFF’s Instagram. His fans encompassed a majority of young boys and buff gold-hearted men. Women found Franky...unappealing.

Paulie observed all of this unwillingly.

A few times, he mistook Franky as Iceburg’s cat with how close they were and how often they hung out, but Iceburg would explain the coincidences away and claim that his one true love was the city and the occasional rodent of the day.

Once, Paulie got an actual truth out of the mayor.

“He’s not mine,” Iceburg sobbed. “No one owns Franky. Really, no one truly owns a cat. They own themselves.”

Paulie nodded to this closet cat lover’s wisdom as the mayor continued on his drunk rant.

“B-but the human Franky loved the most was my old master, Tom. Paulie, you should’ve seen them. I’ve never seen a human and a cat love each other so much. Their bond was something beyond human understanding. I am certain Master Tom had raised Franky since he was a kitten.”

At this point, tears were being shed. Paulie discreetly replaced the vodka with some clear flavored water.

“You don’t notice since you’ve never met Master Tom, but Franky still copies Master Tom’s mannerisms. Like a paw boop when someone cries, and a plop on someone’s exposed back when they’ve fallen asleep on their stomach. Even his roar is an imitation of Master Tom’s laugh.”

Iceburg smoothed a finger over the mouse in his palm, lulling it flat as it slept.

“It took him an entire year to realize Master Tom wasn’t coming back from his hospital stay. Ah, did I mention Franky was the one to discover Master Tom had cancer?”

Paulie looked up from his tablet when he realized Iceburg had succumbed to silent crying.

“What happened after?” he asked.

Iceburg blinked rapidly and glanced around, as if realizing he existed outside of his own mind.

“Dark unspeakable times, Paulie. That’s what happened.”

Paulie was satisfied when Iceburg would say no more on the matter.

He didn’t have time to think on it too long. Straw Hat Luffy crashed into their lives and blackmailed Franky into joining his ragtag bunch of cat misfits. There was something about government spies and someone getting on then being removed from the country’s Most Wanted list. The details escaped him, as they were less important than the unconvincing ransom Luffy requested in all the chaos. At least, that’s how Paulie saw it. Everyone else saw different.

“Oh thanks a bunch.” The stand-in twin leaders of the BFFs sighed once the seaside sanctuary was completed.

“What for?” Secretary 9 said.

Paulie, sitting nearby on a picnic blanket two spaces away, focused his ears in their direction.

“OMG, little sis. You must have missed them when the ribbon was cut for the opening ceremony!” Mozu said, leaning over to hug the young girl.

“Yes, girl! Straw Hat Luffy and Franky were galloping in the fields like it was their last!” Kiwi cried on her other side.

“Is there photographic evidence?” Secretary 9 asked, enduring the women’s attentions.

“Of course. We have a role in the BFFs set aside specifically for taking pictures of Franky’s every moment!” Mozu informed.

“That’s rather worrying,” Secretary 9 said. Paulie silently agreed with her.

“Are you kidding? It is very much worrying that Boss Franky could be taken from us at any time. A cat’s lifespan is five times shorter than a human’s. We have to make every moment count.”

The twins glanced at each other and immediately started bawling.

“We have less now that Boss Franky is going with Straw Hat Luffy!” They procured a megaphone from somewhere on their persons, most likely inside their voluminous afros, and screeched so everyone within a 20 meter radius could hear. “DAMN YOU AND THANK YOU STRAW HAT LUFFY FOR TAKING AND GIVING BOSS FRANKY A CHANCE AT HAPPINESS!”

Secretary 9 accepted the onslaught of tears with grace. After all, she was surrounded by tear-prone adults for 40 hours a week. There might be something illegal about that, but Paulie’s department wasn’t Human Resources.

Eventually, it was explained to him that half the top workers were fired for confidential reasons. Iceburg had accrued a number of minor injuries over the two days of the company’s emergency shutdown, and the entire Galley-la were in disarray from some internal conflict. Straw Hat Luffy and his cats were there. The entire thing reeked of scandal.

Paulie could care less. As long as Galley-la’s walls stood and his people were safe, Paulie could begin recovery. He and Iceburg were alike in that mindset. Straw Hat Luffy just so happened to be nearby to propose a whimsical project to reorganize the company to its former functions. Landscaping and building the sanctuary took less than three weeks, a major feat when materials and workers were low. He had expected longer, at least three months.

Then, Luffy surprised them all by providing the lumber and materials himself. He didn’t know how, but the materials they needed were there to be used. Paulie had no liberties to be asking questions.

He did catch in passing the rumors of _black market, hot-wired bulldozer,_ and _heiress._

Nope. He was _not_ gonna ask.

He was serious in the best of circumstances, but knowing all the BTS was not in his job description. He was human, after all.

Which brought up the question: how did Franky fit into everything?

Franky was sunbathing on his blanket after wearing himself out running around. He looked like a round blue lump that could be mistaken for someone’s fur hat, if it wasn’t for the white star shaped spot on his back.

“How do you see all of this, tough guy?” Paulie whispered.

Franky opened his eyes and met his gaze, as if he could know he was being addressed. Paulie felt the feline equivalent of being stared down by the Terminator.

With aching slowness, Franky touched a paw to Paulie’s hand.

Paulie understood the gesture as the cat put light pressure on his toe beans. It was a language only known between the manliest of the manly. No words needed to be passed between them…

…

Franky then used his hand as a foothold to turn belly up.

Eyes closed again, Franky was the picture of content.

What was his life, that he'd be idly wondering whether or not the resident fat cat could fit through the cat door?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapters thus far have been pretty carefree and in-the-background. I can't say much about the next few chapters, though. And (looks around) Nanowrimo is coming up! I might consider expanding this universe, furthering the plot a bit with a longer and more concrete world. The only thing is quickly finishing up this fic to lay a foundation for that.
> 
> Also, [here](http://busket.tumblr.com/post/164661140228/bennettflynt-busket-where-is-that-cat-with-the) is how I imagine Franky's warm and reassuring expression looks like.


	8. Guardian Angel Things

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Years!

In a place like Foosha, it was rare that anyone got mail from outside of town. Most of the scheduled deliveries were run on a weekly basis by the young boys in town who wanted to earn some money. Daily newspapers were tough to find, as not everyone could afford it. Everyone pitched in for one when the news affected the world or their nearest city.

When mail did arrive with her name on it instead of “Party’s Bar”, Makino ran to schedule a temporary break.

She loved that Luffy categorized his adventures through photos and postcards, even the occasional letter (insisted upon by his mentors and his many friends). It was the mayor’s idea for the two-month correspondence since he severely hated it whenever any one of the young folk left to pursue their dreams. At the least, Luffy could make sure he was okay wherever he was.

On the day Luffy left, the people of the town had gifted Luffy a camera.

“Wow! How does it work?” Luffy said after ripping open the wrap.

“You youngins,” the mayor said with a sniff. He had on a proud expression as he showed Luffy how to use the camera and the old-school film.

“That hurt my eyes!” Luffy laughed as the camera fed out the film. “Aw, it’s all white.”

“Here,” Makino approached and took the film delicately in her hands, “It takes some patience.”

Luffy’s expression had grown awed as the film developed before his eyes.

“This is so neat, Ma-chan,” Luffy said, cradling the film in his hands.

“It is. So you need to keep this in good condition, alright Luffy? We want to see how your adventures are going,” she said.

Luffy looked at her and pressed the film into her palm. He closed her fingers around it and smiled that big grin of his.

“I have an idea,” he said, eyes sparkling.

Only after using up the camera’s entire roll of film did Luffy leave.

“Thanks, everyone! We’ll see each other again someday,” he said, waving out the window even as the bus took him far away from their small town.

“That damn kid,” the mayor said with wet eyes. Luffy had taken the time to get a photo of everyone who had come to wish him a good journey.

At first, she saved the postcards and photos in a small corner of her living room, right above where she kept her shop keys and bills...only after showing everyone who came into the bar the photos. Upon seeing Luffy’s smiles and gradually increasing circle of friends, furry or human, Makino couldn’t keep them to herself anymore.

The day she installed the cork board in clear view from the entrance of the bar was an investment she would never regret. She had lights installed so each photo could be seen easily. The photos and accompanying postcard or letter were carefully sorted and decorated with stickers, prompting an unknown hobby of hers. Scrapbooking and tape making were nice to pass the time when it was just her, Luffy’s adventures, and silence.

She enjoyed categorizing Luffy’s escapades. The popular one was “Luffy escapes from the cops Part the 16th”. Hers was the “Luffy Enjoys Sunsets with His Cats”.

The cork board improved business. Regulars and new customers came in just to read over Luffy’s messy handwriting and goofy selfies. They liked to laugh until their stomachs hurt, even though at this point they had to have read the entire journey dozens of times over.

“This kid is such a riot! How could I be tired of it?” one regular said when Makino inquired over a drink.

“He’s going places. You’d never have thought the puny kid we once knew would be having this much fun. I don’t care if this stuff is real or not. It’s much livelier than anything I could read on my kindle,” another one said.

“You’re lonely, aren’t ya, Makino-chan?” someone said to her one day. “The kids are modern now. Buy yourself a nice laptop and ask that boy if he’s got the book facing thing. Ah, but don’t tell him to stop with the postcards. I love those!”

The loneliness eased a bit. Luffy’s Instagram was hilarious. Garp showed up once in a while. Dragon was a surprise, too. Some of his posts were...questionable. Luffy looked to be enjoying himself either way.

After receiving a particular selfie with Luffy peace-signing as a man in a suit laid prone on the ground behind him, Makino had to ask for peace of mind.

“Luffy, what’s going on here?” she asked, lifting up the photo.

“You finally got it!” Luffy leaned in closer to the web camera to inspect it. “That’s me after I punched a politician and KO'd a cult religion.”

“Ah,” Makino said, turning the photo to look over it again. The man’s ridiculous earlobes appeared vaguely familiar.

“It was so cool. The place was super cold and I think some of the people in that village could turn into owls or something! Maybe it was the symbolism. Like, what? Why not turn into fire-breathing chickens? They were weird when I told them that.”

Luffy pouted and soon squawked when a black cat walked across the screen. The cat chirped as he pressed all the buttons on the keyboard.

“New family member?” Makino asked with a smile once Luffy rebooted their video conversation.

“Kinda!” Luffy caught the skinny cat and sat him in his lap. He waved a bone-white paw. “This is Brook! He’s a senior citizen and he’s been following me around forever. He likes to sing and play piano.”

Luffy recalled his newest adventure. This time, it took place in a graveyard and a mausoleum that lead to a secret underground network of tunnels. There, he met a guy and his groupees who wanted to summon a demon. Instead, they summoned an army of angry couponers, who were mislead by an off-the-market ad sponsored by their front, Gekko Insurance*.

“And then a bear arrived!” Luffy clutched the cat tighter, who had been falling asleep as Luffy talked.

“A bear!” Makino covered her mouth.

“I wasn’t awake for that. I might be allergic to dust because I passed out after.” Luffy rubbed at his chin as he thought. “Or, maybe there was a demon? It just looked like a guy in Noh makeup.”

Eventually, Luffy said he had to go. Makino checked the clock and guessed it was time for feeding and making his rounds. They said their “see you again”s and ended the connection.

“What’s that Luffy been up to again?” Woop Slap asked once she emerged from the back room.

Makino went over to the cork board and picked out a tac. She giggled as she pinned the second photo included with his postcard.

“Oh, the usual,” she replied.

Luffy and his cats sat on the wood porch of the Thousand Sunny, smiles and grins all around.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * This is a parody of Ge*co Insurance, not the actual thing. Of course Ge*co Insurance isn't actually an organization meant to leech off of your blood money just so you can afford basic coverage like life. It's an auto-insurance company, not a basic-human-right-to-medicine insurance company!


	9. Viral Meme Things

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a warning: it gets pretty graphic at some parts, with some off screen animal abuse occurring later. I'm so sorry but at least it's fiction and an actual pit bull was not hurt in the making of this chapter. I upped the rating to mature just in case.

Of all the things Kidd expected to do on a Sunday, it certainly wasn’t arguing with two other guys on a park bench while on a walk with Killer. Sue him, but he had a whole bunch of  _ nothing  _ to do next to giving Killer a bath and cleaning out his cage and maybe trying out this new meal supplement his vet recommended. These assholes needed to stop being stupid and let him be on his way.

“Okay, but cats are such volatile assholes. They don’t listen to reason and are passive-aggressive as fuck,” the guy with severe eyebags was saying.

“I guess, but cats are natural predators. They don’t  _ have _ to live with humans but chose to because people love cats,” the guy with the straw hat retorted.

“I beg to differ. Dogs are much more honest,” Eyebags said.

“True, but that doesn’t mean cats aren’t honest in their own way! You just need to learn their language!” Strawhat huffed.

Kidd cleared his throat, getting their attention. It wasn’t that hard seeing as he was seated between the two.

“I was here first,” Kidd started.

Eyebags looked him over. “You’re a third party. What do you think? Are cats evil masterminds that are planning the demise of humanity?” he asked, eyes wide and unblinking as he stared at Kidd.

“That’s great, Torao! Let’s ask someone who doesn’t own a cat or dog!” Strawhat turned his gaze on him, jabbing his bony knees into his leg.

Kidd did not need this right now. However, this would go on forever if he picked and chose one or the other, so he would give his own opinion. That would certainly end this endless debate.

“Hedgehogs are the best,” he said. He lifted Killer from his lap to show how awesome they were. Killer only needed to sit there like a punk baby covered in spikes.

“Whaaaat, that can’t be true even though those spikes are sooooo cooooooool,” Strawhat whined.

“But...hedgehogs have such prickly personalities, more so than cats,” Eyebags argued as Killer unrolled a bit and waved a tiny paw at him.

Kidd shrugged. “What can I say? I’m a biased dad,” he said.

Eyebags watched Kidd rub circles on the hedgehog’s soft upturned belly. He tangled his tattooed hand in the white fur of the massive dog at his feet. He hummed, as if reaching a silent conclusion.

“Agree to disagree, Strawhat?” he offered.

“If it means we’re okay now, sure!” Strawhat readily agreed. He reached across Kidd and forcibly shook Eyebags’ hand as if their conflict was made up.

Kidd looked up from massaging Killer to a dozing sleep. He raised an eyebrow at how easy they resolved their issue.

“Now that y’all are done, can you tell me why you approached me when there are a dozen of other benches around?” Kidd asked.

“I almost forgot!” Strawhat perked up. “I kinda lost my foster cat when I let her sniff around with my foster dog, and it looked like this dude was stealing her even though she had a leash and a name tag! I got on my knees and everything and he still wouldn’t give Keimi up.”

Kidd was surprised. If anyone claimed any of his prickly kids were theirs, they’d get a bullet to their knee.

“You have her now, so everything went well I assume?” Eyebags asked warily.

“Yeah it did,” Strawhat said, smiling down at the cat wearing a mermaid-themed harness.

“How did you get her back?” Kidd wanted to know for future reference. He knew jerks who took shit that wasn’t theirs, especially those privileged manbabies who had daddies as lawyers and police sergeants. They shoplifted from gas stations and designer stores and got nothing but a pat to their cheek for a job well done. He hated them almost as much as he hated exotic animal collectors.

“After arguing with him, he threatened me with his daddy,” Strawhat said, affirming his suspicions.

“Did you call the SPCA?” Eyebags asked. He held his dog a bit closer.

“I didn’t want to bother them with my problem,” the kid said, which seemed stupid yet manly as fuck.

“So what DID you do?” Kidd could tell this dude could talk in circles without realizing. He didn’t exactly mesh well with airheads. If he continued talking, Kidd may consider bopping him on the head.

“I took Keimi and ran.”

Eyebags paused in combing his dog, and Kidd placed Killer back into his pouch carrier.

“You did this today?” Kidd asked, quietly.

“Twenty minutes ago,” Strawhat said.

Kidd registered some commotion at the end of the park path, where a bunch of dudes in suits and Matrix-like shades were scrambling toward them. There was one annoying voice above the rest that sounded severely congested. Kidd would bet that would be Strawhat’s kleptomaniac.

“Fucking rich kids,” Eyebags muttered, getting to his feet.

“What timing. Right when I got Killer to sleep,” Kidd sighed, rising and stretching his arms.

“Oh, they followed me,” Strawhat said as the bodyguards made a blockade around them.

“Youb hab nowhere to runb!” the congested kid in all white and a face mask cried. “Gimme da kitkat now!”

“What is he saying?” Kidd asked Eyebags.

“I don’t speak idiot,” Eyebags said back.

“Kitkats are 89 yen,” Strawhat replied.

“Nooo! I want my kitty cat!” the brat said, jabbing a gloved finger at the cat trembling behind Strawhat’s leg.

As if the whine signaled them, the bodyguards began to close in.

“Strawhat, you leave this to us. Get that cat to safety,” Eyebags said, withdrawing a wooden sword from his back as the dog revealed an intimidating set of snarling fangs.

“Hell yeah! We’ll beat these guys up for you,” Kidd said, whacking his metal fist into his palm. He eyed a bodyguard donning some neat-looking brass knuckles. Ooh wee, those would be so nice once he got his hand on them.

When he looked to Strawhat, he was already gone from his place slightly behind them. He and Eyebags shared a confused look, before a squeaky welp caught their attention.

“Ew! Get that thing away from me!” Spoiled Brat exclaimed, pointing his gun at a light brown pit bull that had come to stand in front of Keimi and Strawhat.

“Hachi! It’s okay, get out of here!” Strawhat said, trying to push the 80 pound dog out of the way.

“Someone kill it!” the Spoiled Brat screamed.

The bodyguards had moved to do as instructed.

Eyebags shifted his feet to intercept them, but Strawhat beat him to it.

The way Strawhat took those guys down was a strange poetry in motion. He vaulted and flipped all over the place like the section of park was a gym mat. It shocked Kidd that such a lean guy could do so much damage with just his fists and kicks.

“Holy shit,” Kidd said with a laugh. “He’s doing all of this in sandals.”

The bodyguards nearest him turned to him as he cackled and clutched his stomach. It looked like he was the only one besides Eyebags who found the situation funny. He didn’t miss the smirk on that guy’s face.

“Bring it,” Kidd said, whipping out a hefty wrench he kept tucked in his jeans.

He lived off the thrill of a fight with skewed odds. There were three of them plus four animals against a dozen bodies of muscle and a trigger happy idiot. What more could Kidd want besides a little blood to clean off later?

“I’m Kidd!” he shouted under the arm of a slow guy with a bat and bad aim.

“Trafalgar Law,” Eyebags replied once he forced another grunt unconscious via pierced pressure points.

Strawhat came somersaulting between them, a little cut up and bruised but otherwise fine.

“I’m Monkey D. Luffy!” He laughed as if they were playing laser tag, not beating the crap out of some goons twice their weight.

Kidd almost got caught in Luffy’s mood. He knew from experience what to expect when a good fight could turn ugly. Cowards only knew how to torture the weak and play dirty.

A high-pitched whimper had Luffy pausing a touch from uppercutting a bodyguard’s jaw. Kidd noticed the grunt’s eyes were wide behind his shades, and sweat trickled down his thick neck. A moment later, Kidd registered the thump as the same bodyguard collapsed. What did Luffy’s face look like to terrify the grunt to fainting?

“Hachi!”

Kidd was mid-whack and brandishing some new brass knuckles when he felt the wind from Luffy’s sprint toward his foster dog. A guy only ran like that when a comrade was in danger.

“Hah! You pea brains were taking too long so I had to put the monster down myself!” The spoiled brat hopped from side to side in joy as the foster dog laid at his feet. Even from this distance, Kidd could see the dog’s chest was heaving as it struggled to breathe past the pain.

Luffy fell to his knees at the dog’s side. His hands hovered over Hachi’s ribs and legs, assessing what the  _ actual  _ monster had done to the innocent animal.

Trafalgar and Kidd had finished with the weaker grunts. The smarter ones had flanked the spoiled brat, watching from a distance with their hands thrust inside the opening of their suits. Kidd saw this and reached for the phone in his back pocket.

“I did it! I slayed the mutt! I hunted the ugly monster!”

Kidd really wanted to shut this kid up. He wasn’t 100 percent dogs, but what did this particular dog ever do to him? Fucking prejudiced shithead.

“I’m not the only one that wants to shackle this pointless waste of space to the back of a truck and drive it cross country into the ocean, right?” Trafalgar spat next to him.

“That’s a mood, isn’t it,” Kidd agreed.

Kidd didn’t have much worries. He wanted to see what Monkey D. Luffy would do when one of his own got injured in front of his eyes.

He only had to wait for a moment. Luffy kissed Hachi’s head, smoothed a hand over the dog’s torso, and murmured some assurances that everything would be alright. He rose and stepped over the dog, casting a warning whistle as the dog tried to get up and follow.

The spoiled brat was still cheering for himself. He didn’t notice Luffy approaching until the dog whimpered in protest, trying in vain to warn his human not to go.

“What? Are you mad, bro? You can’t touch me, you know! If you do, I’ll get my daddy over here and he’ll sue you and throw you in jail until you’re ugly and wrinkly before you can say butternut,” the kid spluttered, refusing to move even though Luffy’s face had to have been intimidating as fuck.

Luffy continued walking closer. Each step was marked by the flapping of his sandals on the pavement. The spoiled brat flinched each time.

“O-okay, that’s enough! You’re just angry because I shot the mutt! I’ll get another one so don’t you worry about me! You can go away now, I’m fine!” The kid still made the situation about him. Unbelievable.

Luffy loomed closer. Trafalgar and Kidd met each other’s eyes, realizing what Luffy intended to do.

“G-guards! Shoot him!” The spoiled brat looked behind him and realized his black suit entourage had been taken out. He whipped around and trembled as Kidd bared his teeth.

“Not so tough now,” he said, grinning as his guys stepped out from the shadows of the trees.

He saw a few guys that weren’t his slinking from behind. Trafalgar smiled, and Kidd thought the sight was one of the most bone-chilling things he had ever seen next to his next door neighbor’s panties laying out to dry.

Luffy was two steps away from the spoiled brat. 

Trafalgar snorted. Kidd sniggered into his metal hand.

The spoiled brat still thought he was tough stuff.

“I’ll kill you—” He fired off a shaky shot and Luffy, the crazy motherfucker,  _ dodged it.  _ “I’ll kill you until you die!”

The next bullet brushed Luffy’s cheek and still he trod on as blood trickled down his jaw. Kidd liked to imagine murder was on his mind. Later on, Kidd would realize the only thing Luffy had planned was paying back every ounce of hurt the spoiled brat had caused.

“Die!” The spoiled brat wailed, triggering his empty gun.

Luffy put one foot forward and imprinted his fist beautifully into that fucker’s face.

“He broke the septum,” Trafalgar said in wonder as a sickening crack echoed to them.

“Math wasn’t my best suit, but that’s a  _ fantastic _ arc that idiot flew,” Kidd said. His respect for Luffy went up significantly.

Luffy walked away from the crumpled form of the spoiled brat, his expression a storm and his fist barely scathed. He returned to Hachi’s side, waving his smarting hand off.

“Interesting,” Trafalgar said creepily like an evil scientist.

“Nice punch,” Kidd applauded.

Luffy looked up at them for a second and lowered his attention back onto the dog, essentially ignoring them.

Normally, Kidd would smack anyone who did him dirty like that. He gave Luffy some slack, just for today. His foster dog did get hurt. If Kidd was in his place, a punch would be like cotton candy compared to what he would do to the perpetrators who would dare to hurt his kids.

“We should get the hell out of dodge,” one of Trafalgar’s guys said. “I heard sirens on our way here. Man, you guys were  _ not  _ quiet. It’s not broad daylight, but  _ come on.  _ This is Sabaody Park. There’s enough suburban moms doing pilates to call the police ten times over.”

Trafalgar sheathed his wooden sword and walked into the trees, where Kidd noticed it had a little dirt-trodden path to it. “I’ll be seeing you, Kidd,” he said over his shoulder. His groupees and the bear-like dog trailed behind him as the forest swallowed them up.

“Not if this city fucks you up first, Trafalgar,” Kidd said. No way was this zombie-looking samurai going to get in the last word.

Turned out Kidd thought that too soon. Luffy, or rather, the infamous Silvers Rayleigh took the show tonight.

“Luffy, I stalled the cops for you,” the Dark King said, casually announcing himself to everyone present. Distantly, they heard a boom and several car alarms go off. “Geez, those bastards did a number on Hachi.”

“Rayleigh,” Luffy said. His expression was indiscernible from where Kidd stood.

“Let’s go. Shakki has everything we need for surgery at her bar,” Rayleigh said. He hefted the dog in his arms easily. 

The man glanced at Kidd and nodded. It was a silent thanks the notorious retired fugitive would give to a fresh punk like him. His spine tingled in excitement.

After the two plus two animals disappeared into the jungle of the back alleys, one of his guys spoke up.

“I thought you were just gonna take a walk, dude,” he said, almost accusing.

Kidd shook his head. “I know. What the fuck!” He cackled and lifted Killer from his pouch up to the sky. The hedgehog wriggled and gave up once he realized Kidd was only holding him. “Gang, we may need to reassess what exactly a ‘walk’ entails from now on.”

“Meaning?”

Kidd pressed his nose to Killer’s. “If this is what the outer ring of the New World is like, then we need to up our game if we wanna take on the big boys and make this city ours,” he declared. Kidd turned to the person he had texted first. “Did you get everything on video?”

They nodded.

“Good. The new age doesn’t need outrageous newspaper headlines anymore. What this city needs is a media that will publish the uncensored, violent truth.” Kidd smirked in satisfaction at the loop of Luffy punching the lights out of the idiot brat.

He personally witnessed madness in a lithe guy donning a worn straw hat. No way was he going to be beat in craziness by someone who dabbled in charity work and owned an animal sanctuary for the hell of it.

“You must be so hungry after that workout,” Kidd mumbled to Killer, tickling his belly. “You want some food, you badass Killer?”

At the mention of food, Killer unrolled and waved his little arms around.

If all else failed, at least he had his hedgehogs safe and sound.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [twitter](https://twitter.com/kaminarider)


	10. The House On the Hill Things

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "It would not be much of a universe if it wasn't home to the people you love." 
> 
> -Stephen Hawking

The house on the hill very much liked the direction the front was built. Eastward meant its inhabitants always woke with the sun. Eastward meant the house would always receive warmth on its shingles and light through its storm pane windows first thing in the morning. Eastward meant facing new beginnings.

On this particular day, the sun did not shine bright over the horizon.

For a very long time, it felt like the sun did not shine at all.

One day, like any other day, the inhabitants of the house left to go on a trip. The house had a fear of being empty, as a house was supposed to shelter and hold. This fear came from its predecessor, who had sheltered the house’s current inhabitants before the house’s first plank was nailed down. The house’s parents, its builders, had reused parts of the old, transferring the boarding house’s feelings into the house on the hill.

The house ached each time every member of the household left its walls. The old boarding house, whose loudest inhabitant referred to as “Merry”, had a fierce urge to protect its members. The ache echoed in the house, as it was bearable when one or two members stayed behind to guard the house on the hill.

This time felt different.

When the house’s members returned, they were happy. They laughed, they ate, and they played.

On that very same afternoon, there was a knock on the front door.

The longer the visitor stayed, the more agitated the air became. The house could sense the temperature boil and the tension tighten. The man with the book loomed large, and the house was a pretty decent size for a human and eight cats! Never had the house felt so small.

The man left yet the loudest resident remained hurt. He nursed his inner wounds in the sitting room with the floor to ceiling windows. It was the best place to nap in the sun and enjoy the view of the ocean on one side and the stretch of land along the coast.

Long into the night, the house’s loudest resident sat silent in the sitting room, overlooking the moon with his cats by his side as the fireplace roared and kept them warm.

All was quiet, until three days later when the front door banged open like a shot in the dark.

The house had never felt such disruption in its lifetime. There were so many uninvited bodies scurrying in and outside of the house. Chaos and noise filled its rooms. The intruders tore through like a storm, snatching up the feline residents with no care for their unwilling cries.

Through the cacophony, the loudest resident screamed for them to not to take his family away.

Finally, the house was silent. Its loudest resident was alone and collapsed with his forehead jammed to the floorboards. The blood and tears would be easy to clean but the memory of them sinking in the empty house would haunt for ages.

Time flowed slowly without the laughter and the presence of eight other bodies moving around the house. The lone resident had relocated to the sitting room, where he remained for days. Sometimes he rose to eat and drink. Otherwise, he had become like a statue.

Maybe the house should have become concerned when its lone resident ate food with questionable fluff on it. What did the house know about mold? The boarding house’s memories didn’t include mold as the house on the hill was only fitted with the salvageable parts.

The days might have continued like this, until the doorbell rang.

The house experienced this occurrence as a first. No one rang the doorbell. The bell was disguised on the side of the front door’s frame, hidden in a lion’s mouth.

The lone now quiet resident limped toward the door. When the door swung open, a woman with a snake asked for shelter for her and her pet.

She and the house were shocked when the lone resident collapsed unconscious in the foyer.

Many events followed. The woman called more women and snakes to the house on the hill. The lone resident was moved to his bedroom. The women crowded around and watched the lone resident fight against his illness from eating spoiled food.

Unlike the previous intruders, the house did not feel these women were unwelcome. They stayed to relieve out of necessity. Their existence here was a temporary thing.

Once the lone resident woke the next day, he was confused and then flustered. The clothes they dressed him in were not his. His laundry had not been done in weeks.

The women and their snakes startled once they figured out he was a man.

After receiving the clothes he liked, the resident spent the next day hosting the women.

During the night, he received news from one of the elderly women. It was the first time in the past few days that the house had seen him so active.

The next morning, he set off with the women. The house was powerless to stop him.

The lone resident lingered on the front porch, pressing his hand on the front door and hugging his favorite chair tightly.

“We’ll be back for you, Sunny.”

The house understood that much. The promise was spoken with such intimacy. It knew deep down the cats and the resident would not abandon it.

Regardless, it was lonely.

No matter how many years it would take, no matter how many intruders may try to break in or whether the large man with the book came to dust and air out the house...the house would remain just like how its residents left it.

A house was a constant in times of trouble.

The house on the hill would stand strong against adversity until its members finally found their way home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for sticking with this fic. it's been a long year.
> 
> to be continued...?


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